


The Queen of England and a puppy

by yodalorian



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Nicknames, Office, fitzwilliam "fitzy" darcy, im still really bad at tagging, really stupid premise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23958442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yodalorian/pseuds/yodalorian
Summary: Lizzie Bennet does not like Will Darcy one bit. Unfortunately, he's her boss, and she has to partner with him if she wants to keep her job.
Relationships: Elizabeth Bennet & Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	The Queen of England and a puppy

**Author's Note:**

> officially based on p+p but heavily borrows from lizzie bennet diaries because its factually the best adaptation
> 
> i really only wrote this for the stupid interaction that happens in chapter 2
> 
> i don't really know where i'm going with this but we will see. updates will be unpredictable and sporadic.

Lizzie Bennet hated Will Darcy the moment she laid eyes on him.

No. Scratch that. She hated him the moment she heard about him. The rumor had been flying around the office for months, that their boss, Catherine de Bourgh, had brought in her nephew fresh out of grad school. Just like that. No painfully awkward job interviews or exhausting job hunt.

Lizzie liked to think she kept an open mind, though. Perhaps this Darcy fellow wasn’t actually that bad. Boy, was she wrong.

On the day Darcy was supposed to begin, de Bourgh called a meeting. The fifteen-ish people who were working on Pemberley Digital’s new Domino application filed silently into a conference room where de Bourgh already lurked, watching them like a hawk. Lizzie was always a little taken aback whenever she managed to see her elusive boss. Catherine de Bourgh looked about 120 years old, always in a wool suit in a garish shade of magenta and with a disemboweled weasel wrapped around her neck. Like a creepy British grandmother who was secretly a witch. Lizzie sat down next to her best friend, roommate, and co-worker, Charlotte Lucas, and tried not to make eye contact with de Bourgh. She was pretty sure it would turn her into stone.

“As your  _ gossip  _ machines have likely already informed you,” de Bourgh began, her voice croaking but somehow still terrifyingly filling the room, “my nephew, Mr. Darcy, is joining Pemberley Digital today. He has personally taken a special interest in your work.” The door opened, and Lizzie glanced up. Oh. So that was Will Darcy. He looked like he stepped out of a menswear magazine, in a full impeccably tailored three-piece suit, hair neatly combed, and a jawline that looked like she could cut her hand on it. Lizzie suddenly felt very underdressed in a sweater and pants that looked clean enough. de Bourgh looked even more like a bloated toad next to him, but she began to see the resemblance. They had the same arrogant glint in their eyes, something in their stride.

“Mr. Darcy will be joining the project. And, as a final note,” de Bourgh continued, “I understand there are some questions as to who will be supervisor of the project.” Lizzie felt Charlotte jitter a little. The last supervisor had left a week ago and de Bourgh hadn’t chosen a replacement yet. Charlotte was the obvious choice for promotion; Lizzie knew better than anyone how smart, competent, and skilled her friend was.

“Mr. Darcy will be supervising the project from now on.” A wave of confusion passed through the group. Charlotte deflated a little. But hot rage ignited inside Lizzie.

“Are you kidding!?” Before she knew what she was doing, she abruptly stood up. “You’re gonna promote him, just because he’s your nephew? Over any of us, who have slaved here for years, without so much as a raise? Just because he was born in the right womb?” Charlotte was frantically shaking her head; de Bourgh turned her deadly gaze on Lizzie. She didn’t care. She was furious. “It’s ridiculous and unfair and you know that.”

de Bourgh spoke carefully, her words laced with icy venom. “Thank you for your concerns, Miss Bennet. They have been noted.” She walked out, leaving the conference room terrified and silent. Lizzie desperately searched for an ally, but no one wanted to meet her gaze. No one except for Darcy. His steely gaze met hers and held it, as if considering her. And without a word, he followed after his aunt.

Fine. Lizzie stormed out too, cheeks flushed and forehead beaded with sweat.

* * *

“What are you doing?” Charlotte found Lizzie destroying her desk in silent rage.

“Packing up.” It looked more like Lizzie was trying to be a cyclone to Charlotte, but she tactfully decided not to say so.

“What?”

Lizzie dropped the papers she had been shredding. “I’m definitely getting fired.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. Sorry for taking you down with me.” 

“No one’s getting fired.” 

Lizzie scoffed and returned to tearing Post-It notes off like they were band-aids. They both knew de Bourgh was neither fair nor forgiving. Lizzie had probably destroyed both of their careers in just one moment of loss of self-control.

“No one’s getting fired.” Lizzie jumped, turning to find that Darcy had silently appeared behind her.

“What?” Lizzie shook her head in confusion.

“I spoke with my aunt.” His voice was careful, as if he never said a single word he didn’t mean. “I con--she has decided to let both of you remain.” 

“Thank...you?” Lizzie didn’t know what she was thanking him for but she felt like she should thank someone.

He simply nodded. “Good day, Miss Bennet.” He turned and began walking away.

“Wait.” She knew she shouldn’t press the issue, but she hadn’t forgotten why she was angry in the first place. “You’re still going to take the position.”

He turned, seemingly genuinely confused. “Why shouldn’t I? I am better educated and likely more competent than any of your colleagues.” Before Lizzie could unleash her biting retort, he left.

* * *

It was dreary and drizzling when Lizzie finally left the office. She just wanted to go home and take a nap. As Charlotte began to drive them home, Lizzie’s phone rang.

It was Jane, Lizzie’s older sister. They were almost as inseparable as Charlotte and Lizzie were. Even though they had moved to different cities now, Jane called every day.

“Hey, Jane.”

“Yikes. You don’t sound too great.” Jane’s voice--no, her entire personality--was as sweet as honey. Lizzie couldn’t resist a smile. “Rough day at work?”

“Yeah, I guess. I met this guy.”

“Oh?”

“No! Not like that. He’s my new...boss, sorta.”

“I see. What’s he like?”

Lizzie sighed. How to describe Darcy? “Uh, stuck-up? Snobby? Rude?”

“Come on.” Lizzie could feel Jane’s disapproving look through the phone. “He can’t be completely bad.”

“He’s...tall, I guess.”

“Tall is...a nice word.”

“Yeah.” That was Will Darcy. Tall, arrogant, and utterly confusing. Lizzie couldn’t wait for the day she managed to get out of Pemberley and never see him again.


End file.
